1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooking utensils, and in particular, cooking utensils for the deep fat frying of food items such as, but not limited to, spring rolls and the like and for easy removal of the same.
2. Problems in the Art
The deep fat frying of food items is at the same time cumbersome, tedious, and potentially dangerous. Each food item to be deep fat fried must be inserted into the liquid frying medium, exposed on all surfaces to the liquid frying medium for a sufficient length of time, and then removed, all the time subjecting the user to the hazards of the boiling fluid frying medium.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,240, I disclose an advantageous deep fat frying cooking utensil which improves greatly over the art. A food holding container has an opening for insertion of the food item and is placable within the liquid frying medium allowing full submersion and contact with the frying medium while greatly reducing the danger of burns or scalding to the user. Additionally, means are disclosed which assist in removing the deep fat fried food items from the food holding container once cooked, as the food items generally expand in the high temperatures of the liquid frying medium.
Problems still exist even with my patented invention. Because of the expansion and the generally adhesive qualities of the food items which are traditionally deep fat fried, many times the food items become lodged, even semi-adhesively to the interior of the food holding containers. Additionally, because of expansion of the food items, both by heat, frying, and steam expansion from within, the fried food items simply become wedged within the food holding containers. It has therefore been found that it would be advantageous for a deep fat frying cooking utensil to have a food holding container or containers which can be expanded after deep fat frying to allow easier removal of the food items. It has further been found that such expansion of the food holding containers may be even more advantageous than utilizing pistons to push out the food items.
A preferred embodiment would incorporate both the food item pushing pistons and expandable food holding containers which allows easy removal of the food items and also minimizes the requirement of direct handling of the food items which are extremely hot and hazardous after deep fat frying.
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to improve over or solve the problems in the art.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cooking utensil for the deep fat frying of food items which allows easy removal of the food items after deep fat frying.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cooking utensil for deep fat frying of food items which provides a safe and efficient method of deep fat frying.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cooking utensil for deep fat frying of food items which is portable, hand operated, and easy to use and maneuver.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cooking utensil for the deep fat frying of food items which allows for the multiple concurrent deep fat frying of a plurality of food items and subsequent easy removal of the same.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cooking utensil for the deep fat frying of food items which is economical and durable.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying specification and drawings.